The Homunculus Knight

Chapter 12: Guilt and Grief

“My sister is dead. The monster got her. Dad tryed to fite it but coudnt. It was so scary. Please bring her back. Please bring her back. Please bring her back. Kill the monster. Smash it up and make sure it is gone. Please stop the monsters. Please stop the monsters. Please stop the monsters.” a child’s prayer.

Cole returned from the Castle unscathed, much to the surprise of the town’s people. Ignoring their shocked looks, he headed to the Silly Goat. Wilhelm and Natalie had heard about the whole ordeal and both were surprised Cole returned to the inn. For different reasons, of course, Wilhelm didn’t expect Cole to survive, and Natalie assumed Cole would attempt to avoid her.

Cole, to their shock, simply walked back into the Inn, approached both of them, and asked. “I assume you are both aware of what has occurred?”

Natalie bit back a few blistering comments on the idea of subtly and just looked away from the scarred man. Wilhelm nodded shakily and asked. “I assume since you’re breathing, the meeting went well?”

“That’s up to interpretation, but not what I wish to discuss. I would like to continue to rent a room here, but I understand if that is no longer possible.”

Wilhelm and Natalie looked at each other, and the Innkeeper spoke up before his daughter could. “Where would you go? This is the only place to rent a room in town?”

Cole shrugged, “I’ve camped in worse places than outside a town’s walls.”

That answer incensed Wilhelm; his family had been providing shelter and food to travelers for centuries; hospitality and honesty the watchwords of the Striga family. While not having Cole under his roof would probably be a better option, the idea of turning out a paying and courteous customer went against everything Wilhelm believed in.

“As long as you have coin and proper manners, I see no reason for you not to stay at the Silly Goat.'' was Wilhelms’s answer. Cole felt a slight smile touch his lips. Honest, decent folk like Wilhelm were one of the reasons Cole did what he did. They deserved lives and deaths untainted by the darkness Cole fought.

With that settled, Cole returned to his room to rest, and more importantly, tend to the skull. It was still hidden under the bed; Cole hadn’t bothered to move it, even after Natalie found it. Pulling it out of its bag and then sitting on the bed, Cole held the haunting piece of bone in his hands and stared into its eye-sockets. Memories of the woman the skull once belonged to drifted into his mind, imagining her smiling face where only a grinning rictus remained. But that wistful image quickly bled away to another more bitter memory, of the first time Cole had seen the skull. Ashen and worn atop a pike in the middle of a ruined castle. A grim reminder to anyone who might repeat her crimes.

Tracing the skull’s cheekbone in a morbid parody of how he once touched her, Cole let out a pained sigh. “I’m a hypocrite, aren’t I, Isabelle?” he asked the skull. It didn’t answer, but that didn’t stop him.

“A champion of the God of Death, who helps the dead rest and the grieving move on, and yet, I can’t let go of you.”

Still, the skull said nothing, even as Cole held its fangs to his neck. More than a decade old, yet the serpent-like teeth slid through his skin with ease. Cole didn’t react to the twinge of pain and simply shut his eyes, remembering happier day. Blood should have flowed down his neck, Cole’s heart forcing blood out of the two incisions, but not a drop escaped the wounds, all of it greedily devoured by the skull. When his love was satiated, Cole pulled her skull free and clasped a hand to his neck. The bite mark was already scabbing over and would soon join the myriad scars around his throat.

Holding the skull up like a sacred chalice, Cole looked into those empty eyes. A few lingering drops of blood fell onto his hands, not that he noticed, at that moment, Cole felt what he’d been hoping to experience. A feeling of soft coolness on his skin, like fresh sheets or, more accurately, an inhuman lover’s embrace. She was still there, or at least part of her was. Isabelle was dead, but when had that ever stopped a Vampire from persisting?

Downstairs, Natalie and Wilhelm threw themselves into chores, both falling back on the distractions provided by labor. Wilhelm was nervous that he might have made a grave error letting Cole stay; he’d followed his heart but worried that had been foolish. Natalie was worried about that well, and a bushel of other stresses to boot. How would she tell her father she wanted to leave Glockmire? What had happened with the Varcolac? Why had Cole bloody walked up the Castle? And what was going to happen next?

While Wilhelm worked on that evening’s supper, Natalie started cleaning the Inn. She had long learned to not be surprised by the sheer amount of dust and grime that could accumulate in the Silly Goat. Having a never-ending stream of customers of all walks of life ensured that cleaning the Inn was an eternal battle that Natalie would not miss when she left. Natalie winced when that thought entered her mind; she was doing this drudgery in the first place to avoid thinking about leaving!

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Natalie turned to wet the washcloth she was using and knocked over a bucket of soapy water. As the dirty and sudsy water spilled onto the floor, a moment of irrational anger surged through Natalie. With a ferocity that surprised even her, she threw the washcloth onto the ground with a resounding splat. Grumbling, she bent over to pick up the poor rag that received her wrath and upright the bucket.

She’d need to get a mop to clean up this mess, but just for a moment, Natalie wanted to sit and just not think. Slumping onto a nearby stool, she rubbed her forehead absently. Her father’s amused voice interrupted her attempt to relax. “You know we just finished cleaning the floor?”

Natalie snorted at her dad’s attempt at humor and looked up at him. Leaning on the bar, Wilhelm had a sad sort of smile on his face. A mixture of resignation and care. He knew his daughter well and could guess what was giving her so much stress.

“You’ve made up your mind, haven’t you? About leaving Glockmire,” he said gently.

Natalie looked up with the startled eyes of a child caught pilfering sweets. Wilhelm sat next to his daughter and reached out to hold her hand. “Part of me hoped you’d stay. But the better part of me is glad Natty. You have potential and deserve to have it realized.”

Natalie said nothing; she was focused on holding back tears. Even if she wasn't crying, she wouldn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to explain how Glockmire felt like a trap, how she didn’t want to be afraid anymore. Natalie Striga didn’t want to live as livestock, but she also didn’t want to leave the world she knew behind. Not simply out of a fear of change, but because she knew they deserved better. The people of Glockmire deserved lives outside the Vampire’s shadow, and while she might be able to escape it, they couldn’t.

Trying to force these thoughts into words, Natalie croaked out. “Dad, I…”

But before she could say anymore, the Inn’s door opened. Both father and daughter looked to see who had arrived. Standing at the entrance, looking unsure of himself, was a boy. He couldn’t be much older than eight and had a nervous air about him. Natalie went to the boy, fishing his name out of her memory. “You are Filip, right? Matko’s youngest? What brings you here, child?”

Filip looked around anxiously like he expected the shadows to swallow him up. Mustering up all of his courage, the boy entered the Inn proper and shut the door behind him with the type of desperate energy only a scared child could manifest. After another furtive glance around the room, he asked. “Is the Rest-Bringer here?”

Wilhelm and Natalie exchanged worried looks, and Natalie answered. “Yes, he’s here. What business do you have with him?”

A look of pained determination filled Filip’s face; it would have looked comical on him except for its intensity. “I want him to destroy the thing that killed my big sister.”

That got a surprised reaction out of both Natalie and Wilhelm. They had heard Cole was offering his services to the people of Glockmire, but they hadn’t expected anyone to actually approach him, or at least not so blatantly. Nodding, Natalie went towards the stairs. “I’ll go get him.”

Cole heard a knock at his door and pulled himself out of the chair he’d been dozing in. While not properly asleep, he’d lost a fair amount of blood and had quickly sank into a stupor. Rousing himself, Cole got up and answered the door. Natalie was there, looking perturbed. In an attempt to ease tension Cole said, “I see you’ve learned to knock, Miss Natalie.”

His attempt at humor fell flat, and Natalie gave him a neutral expression. She was still upset he’d locked her out of his plans after dragging her into this mess. “You have a visitor downstairs, someone who wants your help.” was her only response.

Raising an eyebrow, Cole followed after the curt young woman. She led him to an unused room where to his surprise, a nervous-looking child sat. The youth’s eyes widened in shock at Cole’s appearance. The large man filled the door frame, and the tapestry of scars decorating his skin was harrowing. Cole looked at the boy expectantly, and for a moment, both the small child and towering warrior stared at each other, both expecting the other to speak.

Natalie broke the silence. “This is Filip; he wants you to destroy an Undead that attacked his family three years ago. Flip, this is Cole, the Rest-Bringer.”

Filip reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of coins, all bronze except a single silver. He put the coinage on the small table and said.” I don’t know how this works, but here’s the offering. I hope it's enough?”

The coins were barely enough for a good meal and drink. Cole didn’t even bother to look at them before he answered. “Yes, they will be enough. Take them to the altar of Master Time when the deed is done. But to help you, I need to know whatever you can tell me about the Undead that hurt your family.”

A look of relief washed over Filip, and Natalie couldn’t help but be impressed at the Paladins' generosity. With his nerves starting to calm, the boy told his story. Filip’s father was a miner working in the shaft mines that dig into the mountains around Glockmire. His family was large, with six other siblings, which had originally been seven until three years ago. When the gates of Glockmire were breached during the Undead Invasion, the family had hidden in their home. One of the worker houses built into the mined-out sections of the quarry in the town's southwest. Far from the densely populated parts of town, few Undead had entered the area, and they’d been safe.

Their house's sturdy door, their father’s trusty pick-axe, and his sister's religious training had been enough to ward off any Undead that got too close. Filip’s older sister Lina had been an Acolyte of Mother Earth, getting close to her ordination as a full Priest. Her faith had been strong enough to keep away any stray Ghouls or Rattlers, but not the ‘thing’ that killed her. A pile of human bones formed into a vaguely bipedal shape smashed down their front door, pushed through his sister's miracles, and crushed her to death. Before leaving just as quickly as it had come.

Filip was reduced to a trembling tearful state at this point. Cole was impressed with the child's strength, and Natalie gave the boy a gentle hug, her own terrible experiences of that night flashing through her mind. Eventually, Filip recovered enough, and Natalie poured some water out for her and Filip. Cole gave them both a moment to collect themselves before saying.

“I am sorry for this terrible loss you experienced, Filip, and I wish there were other options, but I need you to tell me more. I need more information about what killed your sister to destroy it.”

Filip flinched at that but took a deep, rattling breath before looking up at the towering warrior across from him. Aborted tears still glistened at the corners of his eyes, but the child showed a mettle that even some adults fail to develop. Willing himself to focus on the trauma and pain, not fleeing from it in denial or fear. Filip nodded at Cole’s request, and the Paladin started his questions.

“You said it looked like a pile of bones shaped almost like a person, correct?” Filip nodded again, and Cole continued. “Was it made up of certain bones, large ones, small ones, skulls, or just a random collection?”

Filip shut his eyes, summoning up his frantic recollections from that night. Flinching at the painful memories, he replied. “It was random, I think, but a lot of them, just all piled together, I think there were a couple skulls where a head should have been, but I don’t remember how many.”

Cole nodded at that, and Natalie’s thoughts idly went to the skull Cole carried around. She quickly shut it out of her thoughts and listened to the strange interview. “You said it was large; how big? Larger than me?” was the next question the Paladin asked.

“Yeah, like twice as big as you, it had to… squeeze itself to fit through the door, when it… got my sister.” was Filip’s response. “It was dark, and I only saw glimpses of it, but it shoved part of its body through the doorway and grabbed Lina.”

After a moment of consideration, Cole asked. “The doorway, did you have salt or anything to block it?”

“Yes!!! People say we didn’t because the monster got through the door, but my Sister put salt at the door and windows. She blessed it herself; I saw the glow of the magic. She did everything right!” Cole’s words had touched on a soft spot for the boy.

For a moment, Filip looked frightened and shocked, surprised at his own anger. Cole didn’t let him have time to stew on his fear. “I believe you, but I take it others don't?”

Nodding vigorously, Filip spat out. “My Dad told the Daymen, and they called him a liar and a fool. Saying we should have followed the Lord’s orders and went to the Temple. But if we had, we’d been torn apart! I saw the corpse-tide, all those Ghouls marching down the main streets. We did the right thing, but they said we deserved what happened because we didn’t follow orders. They said my Sister got herself killed and almost the rest of us with her!”

The boy fumed, angry at the injustice and blame heaped on his family. Natalie took the opportunity to interject. “Filip’s house is about as far from the Temple as you can get in town. It was a gamble to not evacuate, but it makes sense.”

Cole took all this in, and asked his final major question. “How do you know, the Lord’s soldiers didn’t destroy the Undead?”

Filip looked down, his anger fading into exhausted sadness. “When the attack was over, my Dad joined the clean-up. He said it was because it was the right thing to do, but he really did it to find what killed my sister. I overheard him telling my Mom one night, he searched every burn pit; he didn’t see the monster. It must have gotten away when the Castle Guard fought back.”

The boy answered his question before Cole could ask how Filip’s father was sure. “It had multiple skulls, but the main one was a Dwarf skull with gold teeth. Bright yellow teeth.”

With a more pronounced brow ridge, denser bones, and generally larger, A Dwarf’s skull could be easily told apart from a human’s. The Dwergaz, as they called themselves in their own tongue, were not common in these parts. Only two Holds existed in the Dragon Tail Mountains, and they were small things. Far from the mighty subterranean city-states, you might find in the Holy League’s White Mountains, or the Giant’s Keel of the distant north. Still, the distinct dense, and compact forms of the Dwarfs were recognizable to all but the most ignorant people.

So a distinct skull with golden teeth, that was the sort of thing Cole was looking for. A way to tell he had the right Undead. He also had a good idea about what exactly killed Filip’s sister. A Walking Charnel, another type of rare and dangerous Undead. The perfect sort of thing, Cole's unknown enemy, would be looking to get under its control. This Feeder had bound four Vryko-Ghouls; a Walking Charnel would not be out of the question. Cole glanced at Natalie and dwelled on a thought that had bothered him since he first realized the complexity of this situation. A Varcolac, like what killed her mother, would be another prize for the Feeder.

By offering to help the citizens of Glockmire and hunting down the Undead that terrorized them, Cole hoped to hit a whole flock of birds with a single stone. He would be completing his duties by freeing trapped souls. Helping the people of Glockmire get closure with their grief and hopefully, put a significant dent in the local population of horrors. While also taking the pawns and potential pawns of the Feeder off the board. To his own mild surprise, Cole had managed to devise a fairly solid plan by simply doing what he already intended to do.

Returning to the conversation before him, Cole said, “The information you have provided will be valuable. Filip, I will do everything within my power to ensure no one else suffers your sister's fate.”

That did it; that broke through the surprising strength Filip had mustered up. The boy broke into tears. Cole reached out a large scarred hand to set on Filip’s shoulders. Cole said, in a whisper barely loud enough to be heard over Filip’s gasping sobs. “You did the right thing. It took strength to come here and relive that night. I never met your sister, but I can confidently say she’d be proud of you. Now go back to your family. When the deed is done, I’ll let the Priests at the Temple know.”

Shakily Filip got to his feet, gave the strange duo of Cole and Natalie a final grateful look then left with himself much straighter than when he entered.. Natalie shut the door of the room behind Filip and turned to Cole. “So, what was it? What killed his sister?”

Cole just blinked at her in surprise; Natalie scoffed at his surprised reaction. “You aren’t going to take me with you when you kill the Varcolac, and you’ve shut me out of whatever mess you got into up at the Castle. But not this, I can help you with whatever weird Rest-Bringer charity act you’re trying to do.”

Now it was Natalie’s turn to cut off Cole before he could ask more questions. “It's a small miracle; Filip even came to you at all. The rest of the town is scared, scared of you, and whatever mess you might bring down their heads. You need someone who knows these people and knows who you are to help.”

Cole pondered her words and felt competing desires war inside him. He’d greatly enjoyed Natalie’s company, and having someone to talk to and help him would be invaluable. At the same time, he’d already done his best to disentangle her from all of this; letting her help would be the exact opposite of what he’d tried to do. After a moment, Cole decided to try and get a better understanding of this fiery young woman. “Why do you want to help?” he asked.

Natalie just froze for a second. The entire time Cole had been questioning Filip, she’d been concocting her own plans. She wanted to leave Glockmire to escape the Blood Duchies. But leaving her family, friend and community behind felt wrong. Sure she could escape, but would her conscience ever sit right again? Cole had helped open her mind up to leaving Glockmire; now, he offered an opportunity to keep her conscience clear. If she could help him defeat whatever threat he’d uncovered, Natalie could leave Glockmire with her head held high. The only problem was convincing Cole to not shut her out again.

Picking her words carefully, she made her argument. “I want to leave Glockmire. I don’t want to spend my life here. And I think I could do it, escape and have a better life. But I know I’d be leaving good people behind. So by helping you, I could help make life here a bit better, make it so when I left my hometown, I’d leave it a bit happier and safer than it was for me.”

Cole smiled at that, but as he did, he cursed. “Fixed stars above…”

Natalie exceeded Cole’s expectations, and he couldn’t turn her down at this point. Scratching at his head in an uncharacteristic display of nerves, Cole sighed and spoke. “Well, I guess we’d better get to work then, shouldn’t we?”